Chief Ministers and Union Ministers are gathering in the national capital ahead of the 10th meeting of the NITI Aayog Governing Council, scheduled for Saturday, at Bharat Mandapam. The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is anticipated to see state leaders raising grievances over alleged fiscal discrimination and delays in the release of centrally allocated funds.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin departed for Delhi on Friday, declaring that the Union Government was arbitrarily withholding funds under Centrally Sponsored Schemes. “The funds due to Tamil Nadu under Centrally Sponsored Schemes such as the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan are being withheld arbitrarily by the Union Government. For example, ₹2,152 crore was not released to Tamil Nadu in the last financial year,” he said in a statement before leaving Chennai.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who arrived in Delhi on Wednesday for a three-day visit, has scheduled a series of meetings with Union Ministers from key portfolios including Finance, Home, Defence, Energy, Jal Shakti, and Electronics and IT. A senior official in his delegation said Naidu would raise pressing infrastructure issues such as the Polavaram irrigation project, development of the Amaravati capital, renewable energy projects under the PM Surya Ghar scheme, and investments in technology and innovation hubs.
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy will also participate in the meeting. Officials from his office indicated that he would protest reductions in allocations to the state, particularly under educational schemes. “The allocation to Telangana under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan has been reduced from ₹1,945 crore in 2024–25 to ₹1,487 crore in 2025–26. We will strongly protest these cuts,” a Telangana CMO official stated.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi is undertaking a four-day visit to Delhi starting Friday. In addition to attending the NITI Aayog meeting, Majhi is expected to meet the Prime Minister to present his government’s achievements in its first year and outline the roadmap for the future. He is also slated to join a separate conclave of Chief Ministers from NDA-ruled states.
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Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha are also expected to be present at the meeting, alongside other leaders from across the country.
Punjab Governor and Union Territory Administrator Gulan Chand Kataria will attend the gathering as well. The meeting, which brings together Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors, and Union Territory administrators, is centred around the theme ‘Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat 2047’. Key areas of discussion include entrepreneurship promotion, employment generation, and skill development strategies aimed at capitalising on India’s demographic dividend.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has issued a traffic advisory for Saturday, with enhanced restrictions in place around Pragati Maidan, especially on Bhairon Marg, Mathura Road, and other major arteries near Bharat Mandapam. Parking prohibitions, traffic diversions, and vehicle towing are expected across several stretches, and commuters have been urged to use the Metro, particularly the Supreme Court and Mandi House stations located near the venue.
The NITI Aayog Governing Council, as the apex platform for intergovernmental policy coordination in India, plays a critical role in shaping the country’s development agenda through cooperative federalism. This year’s meet is expected to be a crucial forum for states to seek clarity and concessions from the Centre on a range of economic and developmental issues.
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